Henschke

Johann Christian Henschke, born on 24 December 1803, was from Silesia, and fled his homeland for Australia in 1841. In 1862 he purchased land in what now is called Keyneton. In 1868 he produced the first vintage of about 300 gallons of wine. In 1891 his son Paul Gotthard Henschke bought some land near the Gnadenberg Church; that land is now known as 'the Hill of Grace vineyard'. In the 1950s, Henschke started focusing on table wine instead of fortified wine that was more common in Australia at that time. In 1979 Stephen and Prue Henschke took over the running of the winery after Stephen's father Cyril died.

In 2009, Henschke was asked to join Australian wine alliance, Australia's First Families of Wine.
1841
Christian and family travel from Kutschlau, Silesia, aboard the Skjold, to South Australia. Sadly his wife and two of his children do not survive the 98-day voyage.
1842
Christian settles in Lobethal, Adelaide Hills with his two remaining sons, marrying Dorothea Elisabeth Schmidt the following year.
1847
Taking the Oath of Allegiance allows Christian as a naturalised citizen to buy land in his own right. He purchases 70 acres in Krondorf in the Barossa Valley.
1858
August Henschke, Christian’s son, leases land at Parrot Hill in the Eden Valley, donating a corner of his acreage for the Gnadenberg (Hill of Grace) Lutheran Church.
Early 1860s
Nicolaus Stanitzki plants the vineyard at Parrot Hill, which would become known as Hill of Grace.
1862
Christian purchases a further 80 acres in the Hundred of North Rhine (Keyneton) for his son Gotthard – this becomes the home of Henschke.
1868
The first recorded sale of Henschke wine. The early vintages from a small vineyard on the property produce 300 gallons.
1871
Gotthard marries Johanne Mathilde Schulz.
1872
Christian passes the Henschke farm and winery on to Gotthard, for a transfer fee of 5 shillings.
1891
Expanding his vineyard holdings, Gotthard purchases the Hill of Grace vineyard.
1901
Henschke now producing 1,600 gallons of wine, but with vintage variation, 1902 saw a lower yield of 1,400 gallons.
1907
Alfred marries Johanne Ida Selma Stanitzki, granddaughter of Nicholaus Stanitzki.
1912
Ronald Angas plants a 16 hectare shiraz vineyard near Henschke called Mount Edelstone.
1914
Paul Alfred took over the property
1924
Cyril Alfred was born
1949
Cyril made several additions to the winery and built a fermentation cellar
1950
Alfred officially hands over the business to Cyril.
1951
Louis purchased the Hill of Grace vineyard from his father
1952
Paul Alfred retired and Cyril took on the role of winemaker
1957
Mount Edelstone 1956 Shiraz wins first prize at Royal Agricultural Society Grand Easter Wine Show in Sydney
1958
First Hill of Grace shiraz is produced
1960
Cyril builds underground tunnels for storing bottled wine
1966
Cyril purchased the Thyer Eden Valley property
1968
Centenary celebration of Henschke cellars
1970
Cyril Henschke is the first Australian winemaker to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship
1975
Cyril becomes a founding member of the Barons of the Barossa
1973
Stephen completes a Bachelor of Science degree at Adelaide University
1975
Stephen and his wife Prue spend two years working at the Geisenheim Institute of Viticulture and Wine Technology in West Germany
1978
The first vintage of Cyril Henschke was to be released
1979
Stephen took over the reigns of the family winery
1981
Stephen and Prue purchase a 13 hectare apple orchard at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills.
1983
Stephen and Prue’s son Johann is born
1984
Following devastation of the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, vineyard planting begins at Lenswood
1985
Stephen and Prue’s daughter Justine is born
1986-1989
Prue commences mass selection to select the best genetic material from the Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards
1987
Prue takes on current role as viticulturist for Henschke
1988
Qantas Cup is awarded to Cyril Henschke 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon
1988-1989
Stephen and Prue spend vintages in Burgundy and Bordeaux
1989
First Lenswood vineyard wines are produced
1990
Stephen and Prue’s son Andreas is born
1992
Sydney International Wine Competition Air New Zealand ‘Pride of the Paci c’ Trophy for Lenswood Abbotts Prayer 1989
1993
Double Gold Medal InterVin International for Mount Edelstone 1990
1994
Henschke celebrates its 125th anniversary
1995
UK International Wine and Spirit Competition Trophy for the Best Shiraz Worldwide for Mount Edelstone 1992
1997
Prue awarded Viticulturist of the Year by Barons of the Barossa
2005
US Wine & Spirit Wineries of the Year Hall of Fame Inductee
2006
Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Award
2010
Advantage SA Barossa Regional Awards Sustainability Award
2011
Business Australia (SA) Hall of Fame Inductee
2012
SA Wine Industry Association inaugural Environmental Excellence Award
2014
Henschke Hill of Grace is awarded a Barossa Trust Mark
2015
Primary Industries & Region SA, Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment, Wine Award
2016
Prue awarded Australian Women in Wine Award Viticulturist of the Year
2017
Hill of Grace 2012 is named Best Shiraz and Wine of the Year, Halliday/Qantas epiQure Wine Companion Award
2018
Henschke celebrates 150 years of family winemakingJohann Christian Henschke, born on 24 December 1803, was from Silesia, and fled his homeland for Australia in 1841. In 1862 he purchased land in what now is called Keyneton. In 1868 he produced the first vintage of about 300 gallons of wine. In 1891 his son Paul Gotthard Henschke bought some land near the Gnadenberg Church; that land is now known as 'the Hill of Grace vineyard'. In the 1950s, Henschke started focusing on table wine instead of fortified wine that was more common in Australia at that time. In 1979 Stephen and Prue Henschke took over the running of the winery after Stephen's father Cyril died.

In 2009, Henschke was asked to join Australian wine alliance, Australia's First Families of Wine.
1841
Christian and family travel from Kutschlau, Silesia, aboard the Skjold, to South Australia. Sadly his wife and two of his children do not survive the 98-day voyage.
1842
Christian settles in Lobethal, Adelaide Hills with his two remaining sons, marrying Dorothea Elisabeth Schmidt the following year.
1847
Taking the Oath of Allegiance allows Christian as a naturalised citizen to buy land in his own right. He purchases 70 acres in Krondorf in the Barossa Valley.
1858
August Henschke, Christian’s son, leases land at Parrot Hill in the Eden Valley, donating a corner of his acreage for the Gnadenberg (Hill of Grace) Lutheran Church.
Early 1860s
Nicolaus Stanitzki plants the vineyard at Parrot Hill, which would become known as Hill of Grace.
1862
Christian purchases a further 80 acres in the Hundred of North Rhine (Keyneton) for his son Gotthard – this becomes the home of Henschke.
1868
The first recorded sale of Henschke wine. The early vintages from a small vineyard on the property produce 300 gallons.
1871
Gotthard marries Johanne Mathilde Schulz.
1872
Christian passes the Henschke farm and winery on to Gotthard, for a transfer fee of 5 shillings.
1891
Expanding his vineyard holdings, Gotthard purchases the Hill of Grace vineyard.
1901
Henschke now producing 1,600 gallons of wine, but with vintage variation, 1902 saw a lower yield of 1,400 gallons.
1907
Alfred marries Johanne Ida Selma Stanitzki, granddaughter of Nicholaus Stanitzki.
1912
Ronald Angas plants a 16 hectare shiraz vineyard near Henschke called Mount Edelstone.
1914
Paul Alfred took over the property
1924
Cyril Alfred was born
1949
Cyril made several additions to the winery and built a fermentation cellar
1950
Alfred officially hands over the business to Cyril.
1951
Louis purchased the Hill of Grace vineyard from his father
1952
Paul Alfred retired and Cyril took on the role of winemaker
1957
Mount Edelstone 1956 Shiraz wins first prize at Royal Agricultural Society Grand Easter Wine Show in Sydney
1958
First Hill of Grace shiraz is produced
1960
Cyril builds underground tunnels for storing bottled wine
1966
Cyril purchased the Thyer Eden Valley property
1968
Centenary celebration of Henschke cellars
1970
Cyril Henschke is the first Australian winemaker to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship
1975
Cyril becomes a founding member of the Barons of the Barossa
1973
Stephen completes a Bachelor of Science degree at Adelaide University
1975
Stephen and his wife Prue spend two years working at the Geisenheim Institute of Viticulture and Wine Technology in West Germany
1978
The first vintage of Cyril Henschke was to be released
1979
Stephen took over the reigns of the family winery
1981
Stephen and Prue purchase a 13 hectare apple orchard at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills.
1983
Stephen and Prue’s son Johann is born
1984
Following devastation of the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, vineyard planting begins at Lenswood
1985
Stephen and Prue’s daughter Justine is born
1986-1989
Prue commences mass selection to select the best genetic material from the Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards
1987
Prue takes on current role as viticulturist for Henschke
1988
Qantas Cup is awarded to Cyril Henschke 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon
1988-1989
Stephen and Prue spend vintages in Burgundy and Bordeaux
1989
First Lenswood vineyard wines are produced
1990
Stephen and Prue’s son Andreas is born
1992
Sydney International Wine Competition Air New Zealand ‘Pride of the Paci c’ Trophy for Lenswood Abbotts Prayer 1989
1993
Double Gold Medal InterVin International for Mount Edelstone 1990
1994
Henschke celebrates its 125th anniversary
1995
UK International Wine and Spirit Competition Trophy for the Best Shiraz Worldwide for Mount Edelstone 1992
1997
Prue awarded Viticulturist of the Year by Barons of the Barossa
2005
US Wine & Spirit Wineries of the Year Hall of Fame Inductee
2006
Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Award
2010
Advantage SA Barossa Regional Awards Sustainability Award
2011
Business Australia (SA) Hall of Fame Inductee
2012
SA Wine Industry Association inaugural Environmental Excellence Award
2014
Henschke Hill of Grace is awarded a Barossa Trust Mark
2015
Primary Industries & Region SA, Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment, Wine Award
2016
Prue awarded Australian Women in Wine Award Viticulturist of the Year
2017
Hill of Grace 2012 is named Best Shiraz and Wine of the Year, Halliday/Qantas epiQure Wine Companion Award
2018
Henschke celebrates 150 years of family winemaking